Peep peep peeeeep! That’s all for now. You can keep track of the late game between Manchester City and Tottenham here, and tuck into all the day’s Premier League reports below.
Mohamed Salah became the second-fastest player in Liverpool history to bring up 150 goals, scoring the Reds’ second in a 3-1 comeback win over Norwich on his 233rd appearance.
He’s feeling pretty chuffed: “It feels great,” he told Premier League Productions. “We were struggling in the beginning when we conceded the goal but I think we played good football [in the] first half. The second half, we conceded the goal, so the game became tougher.
“But we managed to come back and it’s a great result. Of course I’m happy to score 150. I’m always proud to score for this club, and the most important thing is to win games, which is what we did today.”
Let’s check in with Mikel Arteta after Arsenal’s 2-1 win against Brentford.
“I think we played really well; the way we attacked, restricted their threats, our fluidity and purpose. Emile [Smith Rowe] was exceptional.”
Why did Granit Xhaka appear to refuse the armband after Alexandre Lacazette came off? “Because Kieran [Tierney] was the next in line, that’s why.”
Aston Villa were booed off after a home defeat to Watford but Steven Gerrard had no complaints with fans giving his players an earful:
“The result’s not good enough. We were booed off today and we deserved that. I need to take whatever’s going to come my way. We haven’t had enough quality in the final third today. For me, it looked like a penalty [Samir on Ings] but if I just look at that incident, I’m clutching at straws because we’ve had 19 shots but only one on target.”
News from the Championship: Reading have sacked Veljko Paunović. The Royals won 3-2 at Preston this afternoon but are still hovering above the drop zone.
A club statement said: “Owner Mr Dai Yongge wanted to afford Veljko time to turn around a poor recent run of results that now sees us in a battle for second tier survival. However, with nearly a third of the season still remaining and every point now vital in our bid to retain Championship status, the decision has been mutually agreed to make a change.”
Updated
No more Mr Nice Guy? Here’s Frank Lampard after Everton’s 2-0 defeat at Southampton:
“Difficult game. We started really well, then got a bit sloppy, turned over the ball. Really disappointed. It’s not good enough to be good at Goodison but not good away from home. We didn’t show enough to get back in it. I’ve been nice to inject confidence but there were issues today that we have to work on.”
Match report: Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea
Premier League: Chelsea have developed a useful habit of leaving things until the last minute and it needed a late volley from Hakim Ziyech to snatch a victory that was scarcely deserved. Over to Ed Aarons...
Match report: Brighton 0-3 Burnley
Premier League: Wout Weghorst fired his first Premier League goal as relegation-threatened Burnley climbed off the bottom of the table with a resounding 3-0 success at Brighton...
Match report: Aston Villa 0-1 Watford
Premier League: Finally, Watford threw a punch and it landed. When Emmanuel Dennis nodded Ismaïla Sarr’s cross past Emi Martínez, 440 minutes had passed since they last saw their side score - and it could not have been timely, writes Sam Dalling from Villa Park...
Updated
Manchester City v Tottenham (KO 5.30pm)
Kick-off’s looming at the Etihad - and you can follow it all below with Scott Murray. Here’s a quick reminder of the teams...
Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Joao Cancelo, De Bruyne, Rodri, Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Foden, Sterling.
Subs: Stones, Ake, Zinchenko, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Carson, Delap, McAtee, Lavia.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Romero, Dier, Davies, Emerson, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Sessegnon, Kulusevski, Son, Kane.
Subs: Doherty, Sanchez, Winks, Rodon, Gollini, Bergwijn, Lucas Moura, White, Scarlett.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).
Match report: Southampton 2-0 Everton
Premier League: Frank Lampard did not return to the dugout for a relegation scrap but Everton are firmly in danger after falling to an insipid defeat at Southampton, says our man at St Mary’s, Ben Fisher...
Match report: Arsenal 2-1 Brentford
Premier League: Brentford had pummelled Arsenal on that opening night, but Nick Ames says the tone always appeared likely to differ this time...
Match report: Liverpool 3-1 Norwich
Premier League: Goal by goal, landmark after landmark, Mohamed Salah is establishing his place in Anfield history, helping transform an awkward afternoon for Liverpool into an enjoyable one. Richard Jolly was at Anfield...
Updated
Scottish Premiership results
- Hibernian 2-0 Ross County
- Livingston 1-1 St Mirren
- Motherwell 1-1 Aberdeen
- St Johnstone 2-1 Hearts
- Scottish Premiership table - as it stands
Updated
Championship results
- Bristol City 2-1 Middlesbrough
- Cardiff 1-1 Blackpool
- Coventry 1-0 Barnsley
- Derby 1-0 Peterborough
- Luton 2-0 West Brom
- Preston 2-3 Reading
- QPR 1-1 Hull
- Sheffield United 4-0 Swansea
- Stoke 2-2 Birmingham
- Fulham 1-2 Huddersfield
- Blackburn P-P Millwall
- Championship table - as it stands
Updated
Premier League results
- Arsenal 2-1 Brentford
- Aston Villa 0-1 Watford
- Brighton 0-3 Burnley
- Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea
- Liverpool 3-1 Norwich
- Southampton 2-0 Everton
- West Ham 1-1 Newcastle
- Premier League table - as it stands
Updated
Full-time: Aston Villa 0-1 Watford
Premier League: Emmanuel Dennis is the scourge of Stevie G. “Honestly, when will people learn,” rues Niall Mullen. “It just doesn’t work with Lampard and Gerrard in the same mid-table.” Ba-doom-tish.
Updated
Full-time: Arsenal 2-1 Brentford
Premier League: A late consolation indeed. Saka’s strike proves decisive for the top four-chasing Gunners.
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Brentford (Christian Norgaard 90+3)
A late consolation, surely...
Full-time: Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea
Premier League: He was thwarted a little earlier by VAR but Ziyech popped up again at the death to do for Palace.
Updated
Full-time: Southampton 2-0 Everton
Premier League: A deserved Saints victory, courtesy of second-half goals from Armstrong and Long.
Updated
Full-time: Brighton 0-3 Burnley
Premier League: An emphatic, Big Wout-inspired win for the visitors.
Updated
Full-time: Liverpool 3-1 Norwich
Premier League: Klopp’s boys come from behind as Salah hits another milestone. Rod Wooden pinned his hopes on my ability to cajole a comeback. Sorry, Rod. Peter Oh is purring, though: “Oh my days, what a comeback at Anfield! And oh my Diaz, what a signing by Liverpool!”
150 - @MoSalah is the 10th player to score 150 goals in all competitions for @LFC, and the second-quickest to reach this total for the club (233 apps) after Roger Hunt (226 apps). Statue. pic.twitter.com/nFo0ZRcAAm
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 19, 2022
Updated
Championship: Derby lead Peterborough in injury-time! Louie Sibley has struck to give the Great Escapists a further boost...
GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea (Hakim Ziyech 89)
WORLD CHAMPIONS LEAVE IT LATE! Marcos Alonso provides the assist and Ziyech meets it with a crisp side-volley!
Updated
Scottish update: Simon McMahon (thankfully) is back! “Motherwell have equalised against Aberdeen and St Johnstone have retaken the lead v Hearts. Hibs and Livingston are also ahead. Oh, and Cowdenbeath still lead Elgin 1-0.” Since’s Simon’s bulletin, Livingston have been pegged back and Cowdenbeath have got an injury-time second...
Updated
GOAL! Southampton 2-0 Everton
Will that do it for Saints? Should do. Horrible defending from Everton as Livramento crosses and Long rises highest.
Updated
League One goalfest: It’s Wycombe 5-5 Cheltenham! Alfie May has scored four for the visitors!
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Brentford (Bukayo Saka 79)
Arsenal have a cushion thanks to a Saka cracker. Thomas Partey sets him up nicely and he lets rip from range...
Updated
GOAL! Aston Villa 0-1 Watford (Emmanuel Dennis 78)
BOOM! Dennis meets a cracking Sarr cross and Watford have the lead!
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 3-1 Norwich (Luis Diaz 81)
Liverpool are stretching their legs now! This is a cheeky dink from Dias, who’s teed up a treat by Jordan Henderson.
Updated
Crystal Palace 0-0 Chelsea: The Blues think they have taken the lead through Hakim Ziyech... but it’s been ruled out! The check takes ages but the crosshairs show he went a tad early.
Updated
Championship: Chris Wilder has galvanised Middlesbrough but they’re 2-0 down now at Bristol City. His former employers, Sheffield United, will leapfrog the Boro into sixth at this rate. The Blades are beating Swansea 3-0, with the damage done in the first half.
GOAL! Brighton 0-3 Burnley (Aaron Lennon 69)
It’s three! I knew my half-time plea would pay dividends but we’re all winners, apart from Brighton. They’ve been rubbish and Burnley have been brilliant. Lennon’s strike clips the goalframe on its way in, which I always find rather pleasing.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Norwich (Mo Salah 67)
Turnaround alert! And it’s Salah’s 150th Liverpool goal! Alisson’s long punt finds the forward, who dips into his box of tricks on edge of the area, then slides it into the net.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Norwich (Sadio Mane 64)
An acrobatic equaliser at Anfield! Kostas Tsimikas nods the ball across goal from a deep cross and Mane does brilliantly, swivelling to adjust his body shape, before delivering a stylish finish!
Updated
Crystal Palace 0-0 Chelsea: Ziyech and Pulisic stand over a free-kick in a tasty position after Havertz is upended. Ziyech punts into the wall... then does it again. “I told you so,” says Mystic Paul Merson on Soccer Saturday.
Liverpool 0-1 Norwich: On come Divock Origi and Thiago for the hosts, as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita make way...
Championship: New manager, more West Brom woe. The Baggies are 1-0 down to Luton, Cameron Jerome evading a couple of half-arsed leaps.
Liverpool 0-1 Norwich: Rod Wooden reckons Norwich deserve their lead. Jurgen Klopp, who made a raft of changes, looks a bit twitchy. Audible grumbles at Anfield.
Aston Villa 0-0 Watford: Steven Gerrard wanted a response but he hasn’t got one. No shots on target yet - against a Watford side still without a goal under Roy Hodgson. Soccer Saturday’s pundit reckons these two “could play until midnight” and still not bother the scoreline.
GOAL! Southampton 1-0 Everton (Stuart Armstrong 52)
Look what I’ve started! Gomes gaffes and loses possession and Armstrong, teed up by Che Adams, takes a touch to craft a yard and finds the back of the net!
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Brentford (Emile Smith Rowe 48)
And another! Finally, at the 17th attempt, Arsenal make the breakthrough. Smith Rowe shows some chops and curls deliciously into the corner.
Updated
Southampton 0-0 Everton: Dominic Calvert-Lewin has rippled the net but... NO GOAL! It’s chalked out for offside.
Scottish Premiership: Here’s Simon McMahon (doing my job for me - cheers, Simon). “Jim Goodwin takes charge of Aberdeen for the first time today after leaving St Mirren to take over at Pittodrie yesterday. His team lead Motherwell 1-0 at halftime. St Johnstone and Hearts traded early goals and are 1-1 at the break. It’s goalless in the other games. In Scottish League Two a huge clash at the bottom is taking place at Central Park where Cowdenbeath, aka the Blue Brazil, are leading Elgin 1-0. Rangers can expect a harder test than they got in Dortmund on Thursday when they travel to Tannadice to face Dundee United tomorrow.”
GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Norwich (Milot Rashica 48)
Here come the goals! Liverpool dominated the first half but Norwich were perky in patches and they’ve shocked Anfield here! It takes a horrible deflection off Joel Matip but the Canaries don’t care!
Updated
Any chance of some Premier League goals this half? I’m going to regret that, aren’t I...
Brighton 0-2 Burnley: It got a bit heated at the Amex just before Burnley’s second... we’ll see shortly if Graham Potter’s lads have released steam by launching half-time oranges and water bottles instead...
Updated
Championship half-time scores
- Bristol City 1-0 Middlesbrough
- Cardiff 0-1 Blackpool
- Coventry 0-0 Barnsley
- Derby 0-0 Peterborough
- Luton 0-0 West Brom
- Preston 0-2 Reading
- QPR 0-1 Hull
- Sheffield United 3-0 Swansea
- Stoke 1-1 Birmingham
- Blackburn P-P Millwall
- Fulham 1-2 Huddersfield (result)
Premier League half-time scores
- Arsenal 0-0 Brentford
- Aston Villa 0-0 Watford
- Brighton 0-2 Burnley
- Crystal Palace 0-0 Chelsea
- Liverpool 0-0 Norwich
- Southampton 0-0 Everton
- West Ham 1-1 Newcastle (result)
Crystal Palace 0-0 Chelsea: It’s an even contest at the Palace but Michael Olise is sparkling against the club he left as a 14-year-old. Tees up Wilfried Zaha for a great chance but there’s not enough meat on his curling effort.
GOAL! Brighton 0-2 Burnley (Josh Brownhill 40)
We’re getting our goal fix at the Amex this afternoon. Josh Brownhill has been credited with Burnley’s second after Big Wout nods into dangerous territory. He looked pretty surprised about it amid a couple of deflections but it’s no little deserved.
Remarkable scenes moments before: Duffy and Sanchez got in each other’s way and started shoving each other, before being hauled apart!
Updated
Liverpool 0-0 Norwich: Van Dijk has the ball in the net after a spot of pinball involving Oxlade-Chamberlain and Henderson but there’s that pesky offside flag again. Goalless but thoroughly entertaining, this one.
Updated
Championship: It’s still goalless at Pride Park but Derby have a numerical advantage against Peterborough; Hayden Coulson’s been sent off for two misdemeanours. Derby can pull level on points with Posh if they can take advantage this afternoon.
Aston Villa 0-0 Watford: Oof! So close to the opener! Emi Buendia plays a gorgeous ball through for Danny Ings... he’s through! But he clips the outside of the post!
Updated
Southampton 0-0 Everton: Super stop from Jordan Pickford! James Ward-Prowse mixes things up with a low corner but Tino Livramento’s flick is pushed brilliantly to safety.
Arsenal 0-0 Brentford: The Gunners are enjoying the glut of possession - 72% of it so far - but it’s what you do with it of course, and they’re not doing much right now in terms of testing David Raya.
Brighton 0-1 Burnley: Big Wout has been brilliant so far, dovetailing with Cornet very nicely, but he’s hobbling after taking a knock to the thigh. He’ll grin and bear it for now.
Championship: QPR are top-six hunters, too, but they’ve not won in their last four games and they’re behind here at home to Hull, Marcus Forss on target for the visitors.
GOAL! Brighton 0-1 Burnley (Weghorst 21)
And now here’s big Wout Weghorst to break the deadlock at the Amex! Connor Roberts tees up the Dutchman for a rifling finish. He’s off the mark for the Clarets and in style.
Updated
Liverpool 0-0 Norwich: Liverpool are turning the screw as Mo Salah dances through yellow shirts and forces a corner. Up goes big Virgil van Dijk - but it’s cleared off the line!
Updated
Championship: Sheffield United’s surge has been checked by a couple of recent stalemates but Wolves loanee Morgan Gibbs-White has put them ahead against Swansea. Great move, including a trademark Oliver Norwood ping. Hang on, here’s George Baldock! The Blades are 2-0 up with 17 minutes gone.
Updated
Liverpool 0-0 Norwich: Norwich are having a right old go at Anfield as Teemu Pukki fires just wide, before Luis Diaz curls over. Really brisk tempo to the opening stages.
Updated
Arsenal 0-0 Brentford: Alexandre Lacazette has the ball in the net at the Emirates... but celebrations are cut short after a VAR check. He’s offside but the Gunners are getting a lot of joy down Bukayo Saka’s flank.
Updated
Championship: Play-off chasers Boro trail at Bristol City. Andreas Weimann has the Robins ahead.
Crystal Palace 0-0 Chelsea: The hosts are up for this against the world champions... but Chelsea should be ahead! WHAT A SAVE! Rudiger’s long-ranger, swerving this way and that on the wind, forces Guaita into a cracking stop!
Updated
Southampton 0-0 Everton: Couple of early penalty shouts for Frank Lampard’s Everton - one for a challenge on Anthony Gordon, the other for a potential handball. Nothing doing.
Updated
Scottish Premiership: Hearts weren’t behind for long. Nathaniel Atkinson has them level at St Johnstone.
Arsenal 0-0 Brentford: Mikel Arteta’s side slipped up under the Friday night lights against the new boys on the opening day of term; they’re seeing plenty of the ball in these early stages but it’s harmless stuff so far.
Liverpool 0-0 Norwich: The visitors have the ball in the back of the net! Rashica, slipped in by Normann, finds the bottom corner... but, there’s the flag!
Updated
Scottish Premiership: An early goal - and it’s for rock-bottom St Johnstone against third-placed Hearts! Ali Crawford’s struck in the opening minute.
Championship: Huddersfield are up to fourth – for now – after a smash-and-grab win at Fulham. With Storm Eunice putting paid to Bournemouth and Blackburn’s respective games, eyes are on the play-chasers this afternoon, with the likes of QPR, Middlesbrough and Sheffield United all looking to make inroads. Look out for great-escape-bidders Derby, too; they’re up against a Peterborough side just above them in the table …
Updated
Peep! The 3pm-ers are underway!
Six of them in the Premier League on a stuffed Saturday schedule, with a tasty meeting between Manchester City and Tottenham to come at 5.30pm. Cheers John. Off we go around the grounds after a reminder there’s no room for racism...
Updated
Right, taking you through the thrills and spills of the Saturday 3pm action is Kate Burlaga. Over to you, Kate.
Simon Mail was our man at the London Stadium to report on that 1-1 draw between West Ham and Newcastle.
It’s Brighton v Burnley and Graham Potter has been paying tribute to the opposition, despite them being bottom of the table. He spoke to Sky Sports just now.
Recently, you can see how competitive Burnley are; a draw against Manchester United, a narrow defeat against Liverpool where they created chances, and a goalless draw at Arsenal. They are competitive, they are still fighting for everything, they do what they do well and defend as a unit. It’s the Premier League, the margins are quite small, and for different reasons they have been on the wrong end of those, but we need to make sure they stay on the wrong end of those today.
“We’ve had a positive week and this is a game we are really looking forward to,” says Steven Gerrard ahead of Aston Villa’s match with Watford. He’s going to let Danny Ings do Danny Ings things by picking the striker.
It’s finished 1-1 at the London Stadium, where the two teams failed to deliver much in the second half. It was grim at times, and is a better result for Newcastle than West Ham. That’s six games unbeaten for Newcastle, five points above the bottom three. The Hammers stay in fifth.
Updated
It’s very wet in North London at Arsenal, where Emile Smith Rowe comes in for Gabriel Martinelli, suspended after his quickfire red card the other week. No Ivan Toney for Brentford.
☔️ Set for a very wet warm up...
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 19, 2022
Let's do this! 👊#ARSBRE pic.twitter.com/5ZNOqSnOhI
Updated
For Chelsea, who will not face Conor Gallagher, who is loaned to Palace, there’s four changes from that Abu Dhabi showpiece. Jorginho replaces Mateo Kovacic Christian Pulisic and Malang Sarr come in for Callum Hudson-Odoi and Cesar Azpilicueta. Mason Mount, out for a while, has been replaced by Hakim Ziyech.
The major team news is Liverpool, where Jürgen Klopp has made seven changes. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are replaced by Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimikas, with Joel Matip coming for Ibrahim Konate. Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain team up with Jordan Henderson in midfield, with Luis Diaz replacing the injured Diogo Jota to line up alongside Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. Roberto Firmino has a muscle problem.
Storm Eunice takes its toll
Per PA Media
Storm Eunice took its toll on Saturday’s Football League programme as high winds and snow wreaked havoc across the country.
Salford’s League Two clash with Crawley on Saturday was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.
The playing surface at the Peninsula Stadium was judged to be unplayable after a second inspection following continued heavy rain.
A statement on the cub’s official website read: “The surface passed a preliminary pitch inspection by the match official at 9am, with the officials due to return at 12:30pm. “However rainfall continuously fell throughout the morning, and when we requested that the match referee return earlier to re-assess and he deemed the surface unplayable.”
In League One, heavy snow put pay to Fleetwood’s home clash with Lincoln.
Shrewsbury’s game with Morecambe at the Montgomery Waters Meadow fell victim to a waterlogged pitch, with Crewe’s match at home to Portsmouth also called off.
Harrogate’s League Two showdown with Leyton Orient also fell victim to snow after the Yorkshire club had appealed for volunteers to help clear the pitch.
Blackburn’s fixture at home to Millwall got the go ahead after an inspection, with further checks due at other grounds ahead of kick-off.
Liverpool: Alisson, Gomez, Matip, van Dijk, Tsimikas, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Keita, Salah, Mane, Diaz. Subs: Fabinho, Konate, Thiago, Milner, Minamino, Robertson, Origi, Kelleher, Elliott.
Norwich: Gunn, Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Williams, Gilmour, Normann, McLean, Sargent, Pukki, Rashica. Subs: Byram, Zimmermann, Dowell, Placheta, Kabak, Lees-Melou, Giannoulis, McGovern, Rowe.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Brighton: Sanchez, Lamptey, Veltman, Duffy, Cucurella, Bissouma, Lallana, Mac Allister, Moder, Maupay, Welbeck. Subs: Trossard, Gross, Alzate, March, Steele, Caicedo, Roberts, Leonard, Ferguson.
Burnley: Pope, Roberts, Collins, Mee, Pieters, Lennon, Cork, Brownhill, McNeil, Cornet, Weghorst. Subs: Lowton, Barnes, Hennessey, Stephens, Rodriguez, Bardsley, Long, Thomas, Waller.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Chambers, Mings, Digne, McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Ramsey, Buendia, Ings, Coutinho. Subs: Sanson, Watkins, Young, Olsen, Hause, Bailey, Chukwuemeka, Chrisene, Iroegbunam.
Watford: Foster, Femenia, Cathcart, Samir, Kamara, Sarr, Sissoko, Louza, Cleverley, King, Dennis. Subs: Ngakia, Troost-Ekong, Masina, Sema, Bachmann, Kabasele, Kalu, Hernandez, Kayembe.
Referee: Robert Jones (Merseyside)
Southampton: Forster, Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Salisu, Livramento, Stuart Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Elyounoussi, Broja, Adams. Subs: Stephens, Long, Adam Armstrong, Caballero, Djenepo, Smallbone, Diallo, Walcott, Valery.
Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Holgate, Keane, Kenny, Gordon, Allan, van de Beek, Iwobi, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison. Subs: Patterson, Townsend, Begovic, Mykolenko, Andre Gomes, Branthwaite, Rondon, El Ghazi, Alli.
Referee: Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire)
Arsenal: Ramsdale, Cedric, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Lacazette, Smith Rowe. Subs: Leno, Holding, Tomiyasu, Pepe, Tavares, Sambi Lokonga, Elneny, Nketiah, Hutchinson.
Brentford: Raya, Ajer, Jansson, Pinnock, Canos, Jensen, Norgaard, Da Silva, Henry, Mbeumo, Wissa. Subs: Ghoddos, Onyeka, Baptiste, Janelt, Sorensen, Roerslev, Stevens, Fernandez, Young-Coombes.
Referee: Jonathan Moss (County Durham)
The teams are rolling in
Crystal Palace: Guaita, Clyne, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell, McArthur, Kouyate, Schlupp, Olise, Ayew, Zaha. Subs: Butland, Milivojevic, Eze, Hughes, Mateta, Benteke, Edouard, Kelly, Adaramola.
Chelsea: Mendy, Christensen, Thiago Silva, Rudiger, Ziyech, Kante, Jorginho, Sarr, Havertz, Lukaku, Pulisic. Subs: Arrizabalaga, Alonso, Kovacic, Werner, Loftus-Cheek, Chalobah, Saul, Kenedy, Vale.
Referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire)
Updated
Shock news: Leyton Orient’s game at Harrogate Town is OFF.
The decision is that the game is off pic.twitter.com/Yre4kI1BdF
— Dave Victor (@DulcetDave) February 19, 2022
Some big talk from Mikel Arteta.
Defeats are a big part of that mental toughness,” he said. “They prepare you, they make you tougher. [The team] understand the suffering you go through when you lose a football match and you have critics, when everybody is questioning you. You have to fight against that situation: that is what creates mental toughness as well.
Jürg’s been on his hobby horse again, though he talks good sense.
“The potential of the boys was not the key for the win at Inter, the key for it was the attitude we showed and the spirit we created on the pitch – that made the difference,” he said. “You have to fight and not think about how good we could be. We are not the Harlem Globetrotters. My opinion is clear: top squad, best I ever had, but it is more important what kind of mood is in the team because you don’t win a Champions League away game against Inter Milan because you are good. You win it because you want it with all you have and that’s what we did.”
Preamble
We’re at full capacity, pretty much, on the 3pm front, with two title contenders playing ahead of Manchester City’s late game with Tottenham among six matches being played in the traditional slot.
Liverpool, fresh from beating Inter in midweek, host Norwich, and the expectation is they win and win well, even if Dean Smith has given the Canaries hope of getting clear of the drop zone. World champions Chelsea look to build on their success in Abu Dhabi by winning their London derby trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace.
There’s some relegation action, too. Arsenal’s top-four push continues with a home match against Brentford, in the process of falling like a stone. Aston Villa are not mathematically safe and Steven Gerrard comes up against his old Liverpool and England boss, Roy Hodgson. Burnley need to start winning, and Brighton need to stop drawing, hoping to turn those into victories. And Everton can go some way to pull themselves clear by beating a very dangerous Southampton.
All kicking off at 3pm. Join us.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 25 | 47 | 63 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 24 | 42 | 54 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 24 | 30 | 47 |
| 4 | Man Utd | 25 | 8 | 43 |
| 5 | West Ham | 26 | 11 | 42 |
| 6 | Arsenal | 22 | 9 | 39 |
| 7 | Wolverhampton | 23 | 4 | 37 |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 22 | -1 | 36 |
| 9 | Brighton | 24 | 0 | 33 |
| 10 | Southampton | 24 | -7 | 29 |
| 11 | Leicester | 22 | -5 | 27 |
| 12 | Aston Villa | 23 | -5 | 27 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 24 | -3 | 26 |
| 14 | Brentford | 25 | -14 | 24 |
| 15 | Leeds | 23 | -19 | 23 |
| 16 | Everton | 22 | -10 | 22 |
| 17 | Newcastle | 24 | -19 | 22 |
| 18 | Norwich | 24 | -36 | 17 |
| 19 | Watford | 23 | -20 | 15 |
| 20 | Burnley | 21 | -12 | 14 |
